Not All Anniversaries Are Good Ones #27
by KaitlynRose
Summary: Lucas is feeling sad over the past, but it's even harder when you have to deal with two of them.


I do not own seaQuest or it's characters. I am not profiting from this story, it is for entertainment   
purposes only.  
  
Not All Anniversaries are Good Ones  
By: Kaitlyn Rose  
  
Lucas carried his tray over to an empty table in the mess. He had only been on the seaFire for   
about six hours but he had already decided that he hated it here. Sure, Captain Mitchell was nice to him,   
but everyone else here was just too military for his liking. Snap to it, hup, hup, jump higher. Ugh!!!  
  
SeaQuest wasn't anywhere near this military. Apparently having almost two hundred civilians on   
board, along with one teenager, has a way of changing an atmosphere. The crew here was some of the   
most uptight and anal people he had ever met.   
  
He stab at the what ever it was on his plate. It was brown, but other than that he wasn't sure.   
Maybe it was good that he wasn't on seaQuest at the moment anyway. Lucas wasn't feeling very social.   
He was still way confused over what had happened yesterday. On the one hand, it had been cool. He had   
all these new memories. Even now he could close his eyes and see his new Dad holding him, caring for   
him, playing with him while he was little. Something his real dad had never done. He'd had a great   
childhood with the Bridgers.  
  
But even with all those happy memories floating around in his head he still couldn't erase his real   
past. It was easier for Dad to accept the new memories since they really weren't all that different from his   
old ones. The only difference was that he was added to the cast of characters. But for Lucas, it wasn't that   
easy. The Wolenczaks were real. All those horrible things had still happened. He might have a new set of   
memories in his head, but he knew that if he were to take x-rays that he would still see the remnants of all   
those broken bones.   
  
It had been a year ago today that Lawrence had beaten him at World Power. A year ago today that   
the Captain had come to his rescue. A year ago today that he had realized that someone in the world loved   
him enough to stand up to his father and protect him.   
  
Lucas wiped at his face and cursed himself for being a baby. 'Stop it,' he told himself. This was   
the last thing he needed, to break down crying in front of a bunch of strangers, big tough military men no   
less.   
  
He picked up his tray and tossed it in the trash, he hadn't been hungry anyway. He was only here   
so Dad wouldn't yell at him for skipping meals. He walked back to the bridge, ignoring those that he   
passed along the way. He also ignored the occasional stares. He entered the bridge and went straight to his   
console. He glanced up and saw Dad talking to Captain Mitchell.   
  
Lucas had been surprised to find out that Dad had actually trained her when she was younger.   
Lucas remembered her from when General Hawk had taken over the seaQuest. She had been tough, plus   
she had managed to take out the other two subs. Dad had obviously been a good teacher, Lucas guessed.  
  
He stared back at his console and started typing once again. He found his mind drifting back to   
Lawrence. He wondered just how much the man hated him now. He was not only back in prison, but he   
was under heavy security. He wasn't even allowed a computer anymore. It was a good thing that   
Lawrence would probably never see the light of day ever again, because if he ever did get out of prison he   
would be focused on one thing and one thing only, killing him. He involuntarily shuttered at that thought.   
  
Actually, Lawrence had succeeded in already killing him once. If Mom hadn't found him when   
she had and started resuscitating him, he would be dead right now. He stopped typing when his hands   
began to shake slightly.  
  
Lucas closed his eyes and forced himself to think of happier things. He tried to think about Dad   
playing board games with him and reading him bedtime stories. He tried to think about how he, Dad, and   
Robby would go fishing every summer, but every time he made a mental picture he found that Lawrence   
would be lurking in the background, staring at him, sneering at him.  
  
"Stop it," Lucas whispered to himself. "You have to stop this." So one year ago Dad saved him   
from Lawrence. It didn't mean that he had to spend the day mentally torturing himself.  
  
He flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder.   
  
"Lucas?"  
  
"Dad, wh-what?" Lucas stammered.  
  
"We need to talk," Nathan said. "Let's go to our quarters."  
  
"I really need to keep working," Lucas said. He didn't want to talk to Dad. Dad must have sensed   
what Lucas was thinking and now would want to try and help. But Lucas felt guilty. He had a new family   
now. He should just leave the past alone. He shouldn't still be pestering people about this.  
  
"Lucas, you aren't pestering me," Nathan said. "Come on, let's go talk."  
  
Lucas nodded and stood up to follow Dad back to the room they shared. Dad opened the door and   
stood back so Lucas could enter. Lucas walked over to the bunk beds and sat on the bottom bunk. A   
second later Nathan sat down next to him.  
  
"So what's going on exactly?" Nathan asked.  
  
"I'm sorry," Lucas said.  
  
"Sorry for what? You haven't done anything wrong. But you're upset, really upset, and I want to   
know why? Is being here bothering you that much?" Nathan asked. Maybe he had pushed Lucas into   
something he wasn't ready to handle.  
  
"No, no. I'm okay about that. I admit that this place is different from seaQuest, but no, really,   
that's not bothering me."  
  
"Then what is? Why are you thinking about Lawrence? Did something happen?"  
  
"It was a year ago today," Lucas said softly.  
  
"What was a year ago?" but even as he said the words he suddenly understood.  
  
"World Power, you coming for me, everyone finding out about, you know."  
  
"Oh," was all Nathan said. He waited a minute to see if Lucas would continue. He had a feeling   
that there was more to the story.  
  
"I know you want me to forget what happened, but I can't. I want to be your son, more than you   
could ever imagine I want it to be real. I know you must think I'm crazy. I mean, I remember you and   
mom and Robby. I remember the fun and the love, and it feels real, I mean it really feels real, where at   
times I almost believe it myself, but then 'he' pops into my head. It's almost like he's in here on purpose,   
just to remind me that it wasn't real."  
  
"Lucas, I don't think your crazy, and I'm not disappointed that you can't accept the new   
memories. I understand that you are trying to merge into your head two very different realities. Maybe I   
did over simplify it when I told you to just chose one, but you can have both sets in there at the same time.   
Maybe you can think about it like half the time you were with us, and then the other half of the time you   
were with them growing up. That's actually the best way to deal with it since kids all over the world   
actually do that when their parents get divorced."  
  
"That makes sense," Lucas said. "I wish that I could forget the past. Life would be a lot easier if I   
could. I hate thinking about him. I hate knowing that even though he's out of my life he's still not out of   
my head. It's like he still wins."  
  
"He can only win if you let him, Lucas. Maybe I over simplified telling you to chose one past and   
accept it, but I'm not over simplifying when I say you can choose to think about him or not. I understand   
that today is different since it's an anniversary of sorts, but honestly, if you spend the rest of your life   
thinking about Lawrence and what he did, then that is what you are choosing to do. He will win only   
because you made it so."  
  
"I guess you're right," Lucas said.   
  
"I usually am," Nathan teased.   
  
"Oh pleeeze!!" Lucas groaned.   
  
"I know, it's hard having a Dad who's perfect, but you'll get used to it," Nathan joked.  
  
"You're not always perfect," Lucas joked. "You used to tick Mom off all the time. Especially   
when you worked too much on the boat."  
  
"Yeah, but the great thing about ticking off a woman is the making up part."  
  
"Yeah, I seemed to remember a few of your make up sessions. It's true you know. Kids really   
really really don't want to know that their parents make out."  
  
"Well there wouldn't be a kid if the parents didn't make out. Besides, your day will come. Then   
you'll see just how hard it is to have a love life and have kids."  
  
"Okay, I think we need to stop talking now. Honestly, I don't want to hear about your love life.   
It's bad enough that you and Mom are always kissing. Truly, I don't want to know the rest. That's a   
mental image that I'd rather not have floating in my head. I'm still trying to deal with all the ones I already   
have."  
  
"Like the one of you and Katie making out," Nathan teased.  
  
"What? Huh, I…I mean, uh, what are you talking about?"   
  
"You really need to be careful of what dreams you call me into," Nathan teased. "About a week   
ago you called me into a dream for some reason, but it was hardly what I'd call a nightmare. You and   
Commander Hitchcock seemed rather…uh…cozy. Don't worry, I didn't stick around to see the rest."   
  
Nathan watched Lucas' cheeks redden big time and the boy quickly looked to the floor.  
  
"Oops," Lucas said. "I didn't realize that I'd called you into that one."  
  
"Don't worry, your secrets safe with me," Nathan said. "Well, son, I guess we should get back to   
work."  
  
"Yeah, I want to finish so we can go back home."  
  
Nathan stood up and walked to the door.  
  
"Dad."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Thanks," Lucas said.  
  
"Anytime," Nathan replied.  
  
  



End file.
